James Seidel will celebrate his concert, “A Few of Our Favorites,” Sunday April 30, 2017 at 3 p.m. in the Scottish Rite Cathedral in West Reading. The program will include two guest soloists: cornetist William Stowman, trumpet professor at Messiah College, and alto saxophonist Alexandra Vargas, the 2017 winner of the Ringgold Band Young Artist Award.

After finishing the remainder of the season, Seidel will step down; meanwhile, the band is in the process of searching for a new director, he said. He said his decision to retire “wasn’t because anything went wrong; it’s because everything’s been going right.”

“The direction is good,” he said. “I have such great memories created by this band that I was able to share with my students.”

He was band director at Exeter High School until he retired in 2010.

Seidel was a 16-year-old studying trumpet with the late Walter Gier when he first played with the Ringgold Band. Gier suggested he perform in a 1967 concert by the band when Albertus Meyers, a former John Philip Sousa Band cornetist and director of the Allentown Band from 1926 to 1976, came to Reading to guest-conduct.

“After that, I was hooked,” Seidel said. “I was at every rehearsal and played every job I could, even while I was in college.”

A 1969 Exeter High School graduate, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Mansfield University and a masters in trumpet performance from West Chester University.

He became a cornet soloist for the band and then, in 1980, its conductor.

“I’ve gotten to play with Keith Brion’s New Sousa Band and toured with them, and I’ve had a lot of other great experiences,” Seidel said. “I’ve had an incredible ride, and a lot of it is because of the Ringgold. I found my passion as a young kid, and there’s a long list of people of Berks County who were supportive of me.”

The 165-year-old band is one of the oldest in the country, and “people did this because of their love and passion for playing great band music,” he said.

“When you walk into the building we own (at 3539-A Freemont St., Laureldale), and see the pictures on the wall, and realize you’re making history every time you walk in that door, it’s a very exciting thing,” he said.

During his tenure, many soloists have played with the band, including Jim Smith, a trombonist from Oley, who used the Ringgold to get back to playing after developing a medical condition and now plays in the Chicago Symphony; and Carol Jantsch, principal tubist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Seidel said that in planning Sunday’s concert, he asked members to submit their favorite pieces to him. He said he received enough for a seven-hour concert, but narrowed it down by choosing pieces that showed up on more than one list.

Among the works on the program will be Alfred Reed’s “Armenian Dreams,” Gustav Holst’s “First Suite for Military Band” (number one among college band directors), the Overture to Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Gomes’ opera “Il Guarany,” Percy Grainger’s arrangement of “Irish Tune From County Derry” (also known as “Danny Boy”) and “The Rose Variations,” for solo cornet and band, by Robert Russell Bennett, featuring Stowman.

Seidel also chose a new favorite of his own: the rarely heard “The Cry of the Last Unicorn” by contemporary American composer Rossano Galante. This piece tells the story of a unicorn who is the last survivor of a slaughter of unicorns by human beings; he is hunted and killed, and the horses, outraged, stampede the humans.

“It creates vivid pictures of what that would look like in sound,” Seidel said.

Seidel said that after he retires, he looks forward to playing in ensembles in which he’s not in charge, writing a definitive history of the Ringgold Band and spending time with his eight grandchildren.

Karin Wulkowicz, right, is Berks County’s new master watershed steward coordinator, and will work with volunteers to protect the region’s water supplies. She will work with Kathryn Keppen, watershed coordinator for the Berks County Conservation District, to recruit and train watershed volunteers.

Karin Wulkowicz of Cumru Township has been named as Berks County’s first master watershed steward coordinator and will lead the county’s new Master Watershed Steward program, set to start next year.

At the Alvernia University President’s Dinner on Thursday, where awards were presented, are, from left, the Rev. Philip Rodgers, Franciscan Award; Mary Lou Kline, Ellen Frei Gruber Award; Rabbi Brian Michelson, Franciscan Award; Dr. Thomas F. Flynn, Alvernia president; Dan Langdon, representing East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc., Pro Urbe Award; Kevin P. DeAcosta, Distinguished Alumni Award; and Elsayed Elmarzouky, Franciscan Award.

Alvernia’s Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a person who demonstrates the valuable contributions to profession, community and nation. DeAcosta is president of The Highlands at Wyomissing and serves on the boards of Dayspring Home Inc. and the Muhlenberg Soccer Association. He’s also a volunteer tutor for the United Way of Berks County’s Ready.Set. Read! program.

Chip Lutz has done it again.

The Berks County golf legend captured his third British Senior Amateur title in thrilling fashion Friday at England’s Formby Golf Club.

The LedgeRock Golf Club member birdied the first hole of a three-way sudden death playoff to earn one of the biggest prizes in senior amateur golf.

“My game was a bit wiggly today,” Lutz said. “But I had a good stretch in the middle and the putt at the last was just perfect. I’ll definitely be back to defend next year.”

Lutz, 61, drained a 25-foot birdie on the extra hole to defeat American Brady Exber, the 2014 champion, and Scotland’s Graham Bell. Lutz shot a final-round 75 for a 4-over total of 220 over 54 holes.

Each of Lutz’s last two major victories has had a special connection to his mother, Janet. Friday was Janet’s 90th birthday.

Last fall, when Lutz won the U.S. Senior Amateur at Hidden Creek Golf Club in New Jersey after losing in the semifinals three times, Janet saw him compete for the first time.

“That was some finish,” Lutz said of Friday’s round. “It’s a great way to celebrate Mom’s birthday. I’ll be calling her straight away.”

Lutz started the final day one shot behind Scotland’s John Fraser, who dropped out of contention after an early triple bogey.

The rest of the final round featured many lead changes.

Lutz, who won the British Senior Amateur in 2011 and 2012 and also has a pair of Canadian Senior Amateur titles, will have little time to savor his victory.

He’ll travel to Columbus, Ohio, for next week’s U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club.

Lutz’s U.S. Senior Amateur victory helped him earn exemptions to several big championships, including the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur.

He’ll play in the U.S. Amateur Aug. 15-21 at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich.

There’s a rain lily that was originally a gift to the grandmother of Dan’s wife, Gretchen, in the early 1900s that has been nurtured and passed along from generation to generation.

There’s a bluebird house that’s home to baby birds and a pond filled with koi and topped with water lilies. There are blueberry and black raspberry bushes that yield enough fruit for Gretchen to make a few pies each year.

And there’s a vegetable garden where Dan and Gretchen’s granddaughters harvest the day’s pick when they come to visit.

Dan and Gretchen and members of their family were delightful hosts during a recent visit to their garden.

You’ve got a lot going on in your yard. How do you decide what to plant and where to put it?

Dan’s gardens contain a large variety of plants, along with many feeders to attract birds. He keeps feeders and flowers close to the house and the side porch for Gretchen, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, to enjoy.

“This is our little mecca,” Dan said. “It’s our stay-at-home happy place.”

Your gardens are well established. How long have you been working on them?

Dan, who taught German in the Wilson School District for 33 years and then served as a substitute teacher for another 10 years before retiring, started gardening in the mid-1980s. He found that he had a knack for it and enjoyed it, and has been going ever since.

So, can you tell me about this special rain lily?

Gretchen’s father had three sisters, all of whom were born in the early 1900s. All of them died within a year of one another from tuberculosis.

“The minister of the church gave a fairy lily, also called a rain lily, to my grandmother in 1920,” Gretchen explained. “We’ve kept it going ever since.”

Does the pond require a lot of upkeep?

Dan and his son dug the pond themselves and keep it stocked with colorful koi. It is home to a variety of plants, including beautiful waterlilies.

“The pond is really crowded with plants, but you should keep a pond 85 percent covered, because it helps to keep the algae down,” Dan said.

You’ve got a large variety of flowers and then the vegetable garden, as well. That’s a lot of work.

Dan grows peppers, eggplants, okra, squash and other vegetables in special growing boxes, which minimizes work once the planting is done. Over the years he has developed a system for maintaining the gardens, although he does spend many hours working in the yard. A particularly time-consuming task is maintaining the large patch of caladiums that provide bright color in a shady area behind the house.

“Those are an annual project,” he said. “I have to dig out the bulbs in the fall and replant them in the spring. But I love them for their colors.”

Can you describe your gardening philosophy?

Dan is an extremely positive person who is not afraid to experiment with his gardens. He enjoys spending time with his granddaughters, Danica and Rebecca Dryka of Limerick Township, Montgomery County, and is teaching them about gardening. On the day of our visit, Dani, 7, and Becca, 5, were picking vegetables from the garden. Like most gardeners, Dan sometimes has trouble with a particular plant or flower, but he remains upbeat.

“I think the thing about having a garden is to remember that, no matter what the weather is, there’s something that will do well,” he said. “So, if you stay positive and not be afraid to try different things, it will all be OK.”

Custy Nairn didn’t waste a minute contacting Jo Ann Heller after hearing she left Golden Oaks Golf Club last year.

Heller was available for hire, and the news spread like wildfire.

“We had to do it right away,” Nairn said.

Nairn’s quick thinking helped Blackwood Golf Course land one of the most respected members of the local golf community.

Heller officially joined the Douglassville public course last month as director of golf and head golf professional. She gives lessons, runs outings and does whatever else owners Custy and Mark Nairn ask to improve customer service.

The brothers couldn’t be happier to have Heller. “She’s going to be a huge asset,” Nairn said. “You don’t find someone of her caliber everyday. She knows more people in golf than anyone else around here.

“She has the attitude and the personality for it. We’re just thrilled to have her.”

Heller is an integral thread in the fabric of Berks County golf – on and off the course. As a player, she grew up alongside Betsy King at Reading Country Club and won the first PIAA girls championship as an Exeter high schooler in 1974. Heller went on to capture countless individual and partners titles in the Women’s Berks County Golf Association and beyond, including seven WBCGA Betty Fehl-Fegely championships and three Central Penn crowns. As a golf administrator, Heller served as tournament director for King’s LPGA event at Berkleigh Country Club. After the last tournament was held in 2004, Heller joined Golden Oaks as director of golf. That’s some local knowledge. When a new management company took the reigns at Golden Oaks last year, Heller decided it was time for a lifestyle change. Heller, who recently turned 59, was working more than 70 hours a week.

“I don’t need to work, and I wanted to travel,” she said.

Heller left Golden Oaks, and it was almost as if a higher plan was in place. Her brother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and died within two months. Her mother battled Alzheimer’s disease in Florida before passing away in December. Heller’s new schedule allowed her to spend those final months by her mom’s side. But Heller wasn’t ready to leave the golf business completely. She wanted to “scale back” to 40 hours a week with winters off.

Nairn was happy to accommodate.While the brothers have the on-course operations covered – Custy is the superintendent and Mark the mechanic – they needed someone with Heller’s savvy to handle pro shop and general managerial duties. “She’s a supreme manager,” Nairn said. “She knows everybody. Our phone was ringing before she started here.”

The Nairn family has owned the Blackwood property since Custy and Mark’s grandfather, a Scottish immigrant, bought the 200 acres for $12,000 in the 1930s and farmed for three decades. The family transformed the land into a golf course, and Blackwood opened in 1970. Nairn understands better than anyone that the golf business has been a tough one for the past 20 years. Family-run courses are struggling to survive. He believes that someone such as Heller can help push the brothers through to retirement in several years. Heller has the same plan.”I fell in love with the Blackwood people,” Heller said. “They’re the most down-to-earth guys I ever met. I’m on the five-year plan and then hope to cut back a little more. They agreed to everything I wanted. I’ve only been here a month, but it’s been great.”